


Boy

by solangeloandotheradorablethings



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Solangelo Week, Solangelo Week 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:03:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solangeloandotheradorablethings/pseuds/solangeloandotheradorablethings
Summary: That was the first time in twelve years Nico had ever smiled. Will thought it was beautiful.





	1. Pretty Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Blind!Nico AU, I tried, please love me

“What does blind mean?” 

“It means you can’t see,”

“Can’t see what?”

“Anything.”

* * *

There was a boy in Will’s class, he was quite the pretty boy. He had hair as black as the coal in a fireplace, his skin was as white and as wan as the moon; tinged with the smoothest olive hues. He had pomegranate, heart-shaped lips and a dash of shadow black freckles that swept across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. Under his big, black glasses, his eyes were brown; like hazel tea or chocolate milk,

And he was beautiful.

He sat at the back of the classroom, with his head turned towards the window in a way so intent, it almost looked like if he tried hard enough, he’d be able to see it. Because, you see, this boy will never see how beautiful he was, or the window or the world beyond the glass,

Because he was blind. He’d been blind since the flames that engulfed his family swept embers into his 4-year-old eyes,

And to this boy, this wonderful boy named Nico, he was useless blind. No one could love him, or look past the shades or his milky brown eyes. He didn’t know, didn’t know that Will thought he was beautiful anyway, like a fairytale prince or a merman.

How Will wanted to talk to this beautiful boy, hold his hands and call him beautiful until he couldn’t talk loud enough, walk him across stepping stones and tree branches and stars and shadows,

But Will was a shy boy. And he was far too simple for someone like Nico.

* * *

“B-but, what’s life without sight?”

“Who knows, William,”

“I wish the blind people could see like I can,”

“Perhaps they could,”

“Mom?”

* * *

Sometimes, even simple boys need to do big boy things,

“Nico!” Will called, the wind carried his voice to a startled Nico, who had thought that nobody knew his name for every second of his short-lived life,

“Hello?”

“Hello!”

“Who are you?”

“William,”

“Why are you here, William?”

“I’m going to help you see again.”

That was the first time in twelve years Nico had ever smiled. Will thought it was beautiful.

* * *

Will held Nico’s hand so they wouldn’t get lost without eachother, Nico had never held someone’s hand like this before; he decided he liked holding hands with William. He held on a little tighter,

“Feel this?” William whispered, he had a nice voice, sort of like a lullaby; Nico decided he liked that too. Will moved their hands onto something rough, “It’s tree bark. It’s dark brown, kind of like exposed dirt after rain. Trees are like flowers, in a way, but the petals are leaves that are green and orange and brown,”

Nico smiled again. He decided he liked the feeling of warmth flooding his chest, the corners of his lips tugging upwards; he liked happiness, he liked William, “What do flowers look like?”

He could feel Will relax into his hand, like he was smiling too. Nico would have liked to see William smile, if only for a second, “Flowers are beautiful. They’re pink and purple and blue and red and yellow and orange and every colour you can think of. They’re tall, or short, with thick or thin stems. Huge, lofty petals or dainty, lean ones.”

Nico liked flowers too, he wondered if William liked flowers, wondered if he’d smile brighter if he got one. Nico decided he wanted to be the only one to give William flowers, to make him smile brightly, “And the sky, tell me what that looks like,” the beautiful boy smiled his beautiful smile, soft and distant, “When I was little, my sister Bianca and I would scramble up to the rooftops to watch the stars or the sun,”

Even with his big, black glasses covering his face, Will could see the sadness and the darkness rolling like a cloud of emotion over his pretty face, “Don’t you like rooftops anymore?”

“There’s nothing to see,” Nico shrugged it off, “And anyways, there’s no one up there with me,”

“Maybe I can take you back up there, one day,” Will said quietly, he didn’t like the sadness in Nico’s voice or on Nico’s face, “I can remind you what the stars look like,”

Nico smiled his beautiful smile once more, Will smiled back, “I’d like that,” Nico said, Will was glad Nico couldn’t see him; seeing could mean seeing too much, seeing what else smiled in Will’s eyes, the colour that heated Will’s cheeks and the tips of his ears,

“Today,” Will led Nico to the ground, so the grass tickled their thighs and the dirt flecked their shoes, “The sky is blue, baby blue. There are no clouds in the sky, or rainbows or stars. It’s just a big, blue sky.”

Will felt embarrassed, Nico deserved to have more than blue in the skies, but he smiled brightly none-the-less, “What do you look like, William?”

Suprise faltered across the frown lines and furrowed brows of Will’s face, he didn’t pursue the silence any longer as the words drilled by mirrors into his mind drifted out, ‘My hair is blonde, dark blonde, almost red but nearly brown too; it’s curly and gets in my face a lot. My eyes are blue, like the sky, it’s just plain blue. My skin is dark but not brown, kind of more tanned, I have lots of freckles,”

Nico hushed him, a finger against his lips. He reached out a hand, he traced every nook and cranny, every inch and every crevice of Will’s face, “You’re beautiful,” Nico murmured, his hands found their way around his jaw, cupping either side, fingers absently dragging his lips, “Can I kiss you?”

“Absolutely.”

And indeed, Will was beautiful. For there was nothing more lovely than feeling fireworks and butterflies and dizzy spells, there was nothing like chasing lips in opia darkness. Nothing entranced Nico more than the stars in the night sky than Will did as he scooped his body in his arms, nothing more mesmerising that Will’s hand catching every detail of Nico’s hair, his back, his neck, his waist;  _him_. Nothing had stolen his breath more quickly, made him smile so brightly, made him see so clearly. Kissing Will? Nico decided he liked that too.

And at that moment, Nico really did feel like a pretty boy.

 

 


	2. Beautiful Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hoped the stars weren’t laughing at him; but hope was too fragile of a thing.
> 
> Fear was black, and you can’t see anything over black.

He could feel it. 

 

He could feel the world around him change.

 

But he couldn’t see it,

 

And it hurt.

 

* * *

 

“Will?” he wanted to hear his voice, even if he couldn’t see who spoke, “I’m lonely,” his own voice was broken;  _ he _ was next,

 

The voice on the other end crackled to life, “Neeks?”

 

“I’m lonely.” Nico repeated, he could already feel himself break. His heart hurt too much to beat; breathing is hard when you don’t have a reason to live,

 

“Why, Nico?” silly Nico, he  _ did  _ have a reason; his name was Will, “Why are you lonely?”

 

_ I don’t know _ . Talking is hard, too,

 

“I’m lonely.” he was like a radio, but the only button was replay, the pause and play were too far away,

 

“Nico?”

 

“Yes, William?”

 

“Can I fulfil my promise now?”

 

* * *

 

Somedays, Nico could see  _ everything _ . He could see so much that his mind couldn’t keep up. He could almost touch the stars and the moon and the clouds and the sky; feel them whisper memories beneath his eyelids, paint the midnight and sunrise in his beautiful mind,

 

Somedays,

 

But not today.

 

Today, all he could see,

 

Was black.

 

The eyes

 

Are useless 

 

When the mind 

 

Is blind.

 

He hoped the stars weren’t laughing at him; but hope was too fragile of a thing.

 

Fear was black, and you can’t see anything over black.

 

* * *

 

Will was so wonderful.

 

Nico heard his footsteps against the cobblestone road, he could feel the warmth that traced his smile, the warmth that curved sunlight blonde into his mound of unruly curls. Will saw Nico on the bottom step of a staircase, cheeks rose in the brittle of the wind, raven waves feathering at the touch of air,

 

“Neeks!” Nico could hear the sound of relief in Will’s voice, he smiled at that, wondering what colour his clothes were,

 

Will stole a quick, heart melting kiss on Nico’s lips; he smiled at that too,

 

“Will,” Nico’s voice was soft, if it were tangible, it would be broken, “I’m lonely,”

 

He couldn’t see,

 

He would never know the colour of Will’s clothes,

 

“Nico,” Will’s voice was also soft, he kissed Nico once, and then twice more; if Nico were a bird, then his cage would be his blindness and Will would be the world outside the metal bars, “Do you want to see the stars?”

 

The stars.

 

Nico smiled, “I’d like that.”

 

His smile only brightened as Will kissed him again.

 

* * *

 

The rooftop, the same one that he’d climbed so many times before with his sister. He forgot the stairs that carried him there.

 

“Will?” Nico whispered in the darkness, he wished he could see the stars and the moonlight that traced the freckles on Will’s face; he bet that Will’s freckles would be prettier, “What does the sky look like?”

 

He felt Will smile against his neck, his arms around his body, Nico leant his head back into Will’s chest, eyes drooping the the scent of fabric softener and rain water, “It’s dark, like velvet black or squid ink, kinda like you hair,” he mused, Nico’s hair tickling his nose, “There are stars threading it like necklaces, kinda like your eyes.”

 

Nico tilted his head further back, wondering what such a beautiful boy was doing looking at the milky black of his eyes and describing the colour of the universe for him, “I think your freckles are wonderful,” he said fondly, voice delicate as a sleepy sigh left his lips, “I wish I could see them.”

 

“My freckles?” Will snorted, “Nico, my freckles don’t even  _ compare  _ to you.”

 

It was so right, to feel this way with Will. Heat crawling up pale olive checks, light shining in milky black eyes, butterflies in a petite frame; it was so right. And their bodies; they fit so wonderfully together, “You do things to me, Solace.” Nico said, face a grin, he turned, “I don’t need to see you to know that.”

 

He stood, feeling the night air cool against the heat of his skin. Will stood too, snaring his arms around Nico, noses bumping, foreheads leaning, “So,” Will breathes, lips hovering, “Are you lonely now?”

 

Nico shook his head, smiling, “Never,” he moved their lips together, just for a moment, before he buried his head into the crook of Will’s neck, Will’s head above his shoulder, “I like you, will you be my boyfriend?”

 

Will chuckled. If Nico was a bird then Will would be his cage and keep him safe from the world outside star covered skies, “Of course.” 

 

It felt so right to love someone so perfect. Nico hummed fondly, “I love you.”

 

“I know,” Nico said, quietly piecing together what Will looked like in the black abyss of his mind, “I can’t say it back, not yet.”

 

“That’s okay.” Will knew, he knew what it felt like to be scared of words, “You’re not ready.”

 

In Nico’s mind, he could see the world. Blonde hair like sunshine, freckles like specks of dirt; sunkissed skin like the damp sand where the ocean meets; eyes as blue as the sky that cloaked their ever so small universe;

 

What a beautiful world Will was,

 

There were so many beautiful things in the dark,

 

And Will,

 

Was one of them.

 

And that was enough.   
  



	3. Brave Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Will has a constant crave for validation and Nico has a McEdgy with his Happy Meals, (I'm sorry guys, I tried; please love me)

Silk soft wind hushed brittle across white sand, a boy with hair weaved coal black strayed wisely from the bonfire. Oh, how he missed the colour ocean blue, how vivid it skimmed through his canvas mind; but woodsmoke churned red in his emptiness, bleeding, burning red like flickers of flames,

 

The sun was a different fire. The sun beamed yellowing tears that slipped through the red waves and slowly but surely his emptiness was filled not with fire and blood but with curly ash blonde hair,

 

“Will?” he knew where his lover lay, right beside him with their fingers entwined, but oh how inviting the cold sputters of embers and ash sounded to him; he didn’t want his Will to burn too, 

 

The older boy in question gave an off sided hum, sleepiness dripping from his quiet murmurs, “Hm?” his yawned intelligently, Nico snorted at the pathetic lack of response, Will grinned at that; for Nico’s laughter was ever so pleasing, “What?” he whined, sitting up in the bask of sunlight,

 

“Nothing, I just wanted to know where you were,” Nico mumbled, smiling softly as Will pulled him to his chest, 

 

“Is it because of the fire?” Will knew of the nightmares that plagued the quilt of flames, knew of the people and sights stolen from obsidian eyes by sheltered burns, “We can go somewhere else,” 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Nico sighed, Will smelt of the ocean and ice cream, “I just need to know you’re safe,”

 

Will knew that, too; he just liked to hear it,

 

“Hey!” Will said suddenly, sleep snapping from his voice like strings cut from a puppet, “Let’s go over there!”

 

Nico chuckled, “I can’t see where ‘ _ there _ ’ is, William,” he retorted, sarcasm lacing his voice, he felt Will’s face heat up as he leant their foreheads together,

 

“ohmygoshneeksimsosorry,” he flushed, blush dusting his features, Nico laughed again, leaving a reassuring kiss on the blonde’s nose, “I thought we could walk on the docks, I can talk about the ocean for a bit, if you want,”

 

“I’d like that,” Nico replied, rather distracted before he captured Will’s lips against his own,

* * *

 

Nico could walk perfectly fine on his own, however, Will seemed content scooping him into his arms and carrying him all over the place. Nico would be a liar if he said he didn’t enjoy feeling special for a moment or two,

“We’re here,” Will announced proudly, strong ocean winds fraying at his kept hair, “And we’re queer,”

“The queerest,” Nico confirmed with an odd smile, “I miss the colour blue,” he said with a sigh as deep as rogue waves were high,

“What else do you miss?”

The raven-haired boy sunk into Will’s arms and for a moment, Will was scared his question had broken his love, “My family; my sister, mostly. I miss  _ having  _ a family,” slowly, Nico’s sadness leaked from his clear black eyes, “I miss feeling like the sky was at my fingertips, ocean in my veins. I miss  _ knowing _ what I felt,”

A deep breath; sucked sharp and taut, a brush of lips against forehead, fleeting tears and a runaway smile, “What do you normally feel?”

“Numb, usually,” Nico turned to face Will, but of course, he couldn’t  _ see  _ him; he just felt for the warmth that radiated his soft heart and even softer smile, “Unless I’m with you; I feel so-  _ incredible  _ when I’m with you,”

“Inflate my ego, please?” Will pouted, though Nico wouldn’t see that, either, 

“It’s like I’m a balloon- blue, and so full of helium it hurts to breathe, like my string is so firmly tied to a wooden fence that no matter how full I am I’ll never be able to float away,” the silence that suffocated them broke like glass as Nico’s voice touched it, “And suddenly you cut my string and I’m weightless again,”

“Nico?” Will’s own voice brushed the shattered pieces together again and all that filled their silence was a rustle of movement as Nico turned to him, “I really,  _ really  _ love you.”

Nico didn’t say much, how could he when the words were swept from his lungs; replaced with the throbbing beats of heart hidden beneath skin? So, Nico let his lips, who knew his mind more than he, take over,

With a curiosity and gentleness foreign to the boys, Nico’s lips felt for Will’s; dragging across freckled cheeks like fingers across a worn map. They were a tangle of limbs as Nico craned his body in Will’s arms; until his back rested against the barriers, legs ensnaring Will’s waist, arms looped around his neck,

After their breaths grew short, hearts full, they wrenched themselves apart, “I haven’t said it back yet,” Nico said, breathless, searching his body for the words that had died alongside his vision and family in the fire, 

“Nico, breathe, it’s okay- it’s  _ okay _ -” Will didn’t know what to do, those tears were so sharp and Nico seemed so fragile, “You’re not ready, I can wait- I  _ will  _ wait-”

“No- Will,” he truly was the bravest boy Will had ever known, “I want to say it, I  _ need  _ to.”

And so Will stayed quiet. He let Nico trace every inch of his face, sculpting an image into his head. He let Nico breathe and relax into Will’s arms. He let Nico pull himself- pull them  _ both  _ back together, “Breathe,”

“I-” he choked; Nico, for a terrifyingly realistic moment, simply could  _ not  _ breathe- but there was Will, gentle Will, holding him and soothing him;  _ loving  _ him; and so Nico breathed and he said, so quietly it was practically inaudible; “I love you, William Solace.”

And Will- Will was so  _ proud _ . Nico could almost  _ feel  _ Will’s pride, he could almost,  _ almost _ , see it. 

It seemed, to the outside world, that a simple kiss could not  _ possibly  _ comprehend the beauty of bravery. And so, for a peaceful moment, the universe allowed time to stop around them; let the sun dip beneath aching blue, let the dying rays touch their shadows across the ground. Coiled in each other’s arms; content with the whispering of nightfall, soft crackles of bonfire fading to quiet, the engulfing groan of the waves, the painting of moonlight and shadows echoing around them;

Afterall; just because things are made of glass, does not mean they would not last. 

  
  


Gay ha


End file.
